It's no secret that Fiat Chrysler is hard at work designing and engineering the next generation Ram 1500 pickup truck, due to arrive in early 2018 as a likely 2019 model. We previously reported on what we can expect from the new 1500, such as it'll stick with mostly steel construction and not aluminum, like the Ford F-150. According to Automotive News, who learned from inside FCA sources, the current Ram 1500 will continue to be built "well into 2019, even after…a redesigned Ram 1500" arrives. Why build two generations of the same model at once?

Makes no sense. Or does it? The logic is actually very simple and FCA is even doing the exact same thing right now with two other models, the all-new Chrysler Pacifica and the outgoing Dodge Grand Caravan. FCA wants the added truck volume "to make a low-cost play for added fleet business with retiring pickups, while appealing to retails customers with added features and technology due on the new trucks." In short, this will guarantee dealerships have a big enough supply of trucks to sell. The Pacifica/Grand Caravan model works the same way where the latter, because it's cheaper, is being used "extensively in fleet sales and as a low-cost alternative to the higher-priced Pacifica."

Eventually, the current Ram 1500 will be retired permanently, but FCA is going to milk it for all it's worth before that happens. So far, this business model seems to be working quite well with the Grand Caravan, a vehicle whose design dates back to 2008.